Bypolls: Lalu to decide on RJD nominees

PATNA: Amid reports of strain in the RJD-Congress alliance with the latter deciding to contest for Bhabhua assembly seat, the RJD on Tuesday authorised party president Lalu Prasad to take a decision on the byelection for two assembly and one parliamentary seats in the state slated for March 11.
While the Araria parliamentary and Jehanabad assembly seats fell vacant following the demise of RJD MP Taslimuddin and RJD MLA Mundrika Singh Yadav respectively, the Bhabhua byelection was necessitated by the death of sitting BJP MLA Anand Bhushan Pandey.
The RJD decided to authorise Lalu, currently lodged in the Ranchi central jail as a fodder scam convict, after separate meetings of its state parliamentary board and central parliamentary board in Patna earlier in the day. While the state board meet was presided over by former minister Awadh Bihari Singh, the central board meet was held under the chairmanship of party vice-president Rabri Devi.
Rabri later told a section of the media that the RJD was sanguine of winning all the three seats. Asked about the Congress’s claim on Bhabhua seat, she said the Congress had not approached the RJD so far. “If the Congress wants to contest from Bhabhua, the party leadership should discuss the matter with us,” she said.
RJD vice-president Shivanand Tiwari sought to downplay the issue. “The RJD will take a final call only after taking the Congress into confidence,” he said.
On the other hand, Congress legislature party leader Sadanand Singh said on Tuesday the party would field candidates from all the three seats if Bhabhua was not left for it by ally RJD. “We will win Bhabhua even against the RJD,” he claimed.
Alliance dharma, Sadanand said, is against unilateral decisions by any ally. “If the RJD remains adamant on Bhabhua, we will request the Congress leadership to allot us the party symbol and we will prove our mettle,” he said.